The Ultimate Gut-Friendly Snack Mix

4.7
(3)
3 Reviews

This curried cashew snack mix features toasted edamame—a prebiotic food that sets the stage for a healthy gut. A combination of spices and red curry paste brings flavor and heat to this grab-and-go snack. To keep the spice level on the mild side, you can swap out the red curry paste for yellow.

By
Megan Ginsberg
Square Headshot of Megan Ginsberg
Megan Ginsberg
Megan Ginsberg is the Senior Editor for EatingWell. She has a keen eye for grammar, is always looking for new recipes to try and loves the satisfaction that comes from meal planning. Most of her 20-plus-year editing career has been focused on food-related content.
EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines
Updated on August 22, 2025
Reviewed by Dietitian
Emily Lachtrupp, M.S., RD
Emily Lachtrupp Headshot
Reviewed by Dietitian Emily Lachtrupp, M.S., RD

Emily Lachtrupp is a registered dietitian experienced in nutritional counseling, recipe analysis and meal plans. She's worked with clients who struggle with diabetes, weight loss, digestive issues and more. In her spare time, you can find her enjoying all that Vermont has to offer with her family and her dog, Winston.

EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines
Photo of The Ultimate Gut-Friendly Snack Mix on teal surface
Credit:

Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Styling: Christina Brockman
Active Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 20 mins
Servings:
6
Nutrition Profile:
No Added Sugar Gut Healthy Sesame-Free Dairy-Free High-Fiber Vegan Vegetarian High-Protein Egg-Free Gluten-Free
  • Featuring five main ingredients, this recipe has everything needed for a quick, delicious snack.
  • The curry spice and coconut oil make this snack flavor-packed and heart-healthy.
  • For an extra twist, try swapping red curry paste with yellow to keep it tasty yet mild.

This Gut-Friendly Snack Mix is the perfect balance of spicy and savory. Mild, fiber-filled edamame becomes roasted and crispy, adding to the crunch factor of the plantain chips and cashews—all of which become enrobed in the warm umami flavors of tamari and curry spices. A touch of salt satisfies the desire for a salty snack, while the coconut adds just the right amount of natural sweetness to balance the flavors. Not just delicious, this snack mix also provides essential food for your beneficial gut bacteria. Keep reading for our expert tips, including what dried fruits you could add to this snack mix.

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! 

  • Save some time in the kitchen by using pre-roasted edamame (just skip Step 1).
  • Level up the flavor of this homemade snack by adding dried mango or cherries.
  • For some extra creativity and crunch, toss in your favorite flavor of Chex cereal instead of or along with the plantain chips.

Nutrition Notes

  • While they look similar to bananas, plantains are starchier and hold up well to being cooked. Plantains are loaded with potassium, making them a great fruit for healthy blood pressure. If you regularly eat plantains, you might have healthier skin and immunity thanks to their vitamin C and A content. And the fiber in plantains will feed your gut’s beneficial bacteria and allow them to thrive. 
  • Edamame are young soybeans that have been picked before they’re fully ripened. High in gut-friendly fiber, plant-based protein and healthy fats, these little beans are big in health benefits. If you regularly eat edamame, you might experience lower cholesterol, healthy blood sugar, a healthier microbiome, strong bones and healthy blood pressure. 
  • Coconut is a fruit that is low in carbs and high in fat. But the saturated fat in coconut is not as harmful as the saturated fat in highly processed foods. Plus, coconut is packed with gut-loving fiber—a quarter-cup of shredded coconut will give you about 2 grams, per the USDA. You also get some essential vitamins and minerals in coconut, as well as powerful antioxidants.
the ingredients to make the Ultimate Gut-Friendly Snack Mix

Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Styling: Christina Brockman
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 6 servings

  • 1½ tablespoons refined coconut oil, divided

  • 1 (12-ounce) package shelled frozen edamame, thawed and patted dry

  • 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari

  • 1 tablespoon red curry paste

  • 1 teaspoon grated lime zest

  • 1 tablespoon lime juice

  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander

  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin

  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger

  • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • 2 cups salted plantain chips

  • ½ cup whole raw cashews, roughly chopped

  • ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Microwave 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a large heatproof bowl on High until melted, about 1 minute. Add edamame; toss to coat. Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet, reserving the bowl. Bake until crispy and browned, about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

    a step in making the Ultimate Gut-Friendly Snack Mix

    Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Styling: Christina Brockman

  2. Meanwhile, microwave the remaining 1½ teaspoons coconut oil in the same large heatproof bowl on High until melted, about 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon each tamari, curry paste and lime juice, 1 teaspoon coriander, ½ teaspoon each cumin and ginger and ¼ teaspoon turmeric; whisk until smooth.

    a step in making the Ultimate Gut-Friendly Snack Mix

    Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Styling: Christina Brockman

  3. Remove the edamame from the oven; sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt. Add 2 cups plantain chips and the chopped cashews to the pan. Drizzle the edamame with the curry paste mixture and stir to coat. Bake for 8 minutes. Sprinkle ½ cup coconut over the edamame. Continue baking until the coconut and plantain chips are crispy and toasted and the curry mixture has thickened over the edamame, about 2 minutes more. Let cool on the pan until room temperature, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon lime zest.

    a step in making the Ultimate Gut-Friendly Snack Mix

    Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Styling: Christina Brockman

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How do I make this recipe less spicy?

    For a less spicy snack mix, opt for a yellow curry paste, which is known to be the mildest curry. If it’s still too spicy, add a pinch of sugar to counteract the spice. Yellow curry paste is a good alternative to the red curry, which is moderately spicy, and green curry, which is even spicier.

  • How should I store this snack mix?

    Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Recipe developed by Marianne Williams

EatingWell.com, October 2024

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

281 Calories
20g Fat
20g Carbs
10g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 6
Serving Size about 2/3 cup
Calories 281
% Daily Value *
Total Carbohydrate 20g 7%
Dietary Fiber 5g 19%
Total Sugars 3g
Added Sugars 0g 0%
Protein 10g 20%
Total Fat 20g 25%
Saturated Fat 9g 46%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Vitamin A 18µg
Vitamin C 11mg 12%
Vitamin D 0µg
Vitamin E 1mg 8%
Folate 186µg
Vitamin K 23µg
Sodium 267mg 12%
Calcium 51mg 4%
Iron 3mg 16%
Magnesium 89mg 21%
Potassium 495mg 11%
Zinc 2mg 15%
Vitamin B12 0µg
Omega 3 0g

Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate.

* Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.

Additional reporting by
Carrie Myers, M.S.
Carrie Myers
Carrie Myers, M.S.
Carrie Myers is a portfolio entrepreneur with more than 30 years of experience in the health and wellness space. As a writer and editor, Carrie has worked for both consumer and trade print and online publications. She's been quoted in several articles as a health and fitness expert. Carrie is also a certified life and wellness coach and exercise physiologist, and the founder of CarrieMichele Co., a lifestyle company that helps women create lives they love where they can be authentic.
EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines
and
Linda Frahm
Linda Frahm
Linda Frahm has been a copy editor and fact checker working with food and nutrition content for the past 30-plus years for consumer print and online publications.
EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines
Sources
EatingWell is committed to using high-quality, reputable sources—including peer-reviewed studies—to support the facts in our articles. Read about our editorial policies and standards to learn more about how we fact check our content for accuracy.

  1. U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central. Nuts, coconut meat, raw.